The Power of Conflict

If there never was any conflict there would never be any change or growth. And if nothing ever changed or grew there would ultimately be … nothing.

I work with small business owners and their teams supporting them to create business cultures that are truly open, honest, loving and responsive. Of course this usually requires some disruption to the status quo: “I won‘t tell you what I can see, if you don‘t tell me what you can see”.

The notion that keeping quiet; not saying what you really feel/think/know; avoiding having the hard conversations and going all the way is acceptable or appropriate because it avoids conflict is a fiction. It is a closed and defensive way of thinking, feeling and being and ultimately creates more fear and more anxiety … not less. The choice to avoid being open and honest because you fear the response/reaction you will get comes from the same fearful thinking that created the issue in the first place. And in that fearful place there is no resolution.

In order to create open and honest communication as a cultural norm, you have to be willing to deal with conflict as it arises and sometimes even actively facilitate it. This means being willing to say what you can see, feel, and know, to stay in the conversation until it is complete and to BE present and aware and responding to what‘s really going on until the energy shifts and peace prevails … and it will … when you go all the way.

When you accept conflict as a natural and integral part of the process of transformation and welcome it as an opportunity to tell and hear the whole truth, you will discover the power of conflict to create peace.

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"It‘s not whether you have conflict in your life … it‘s what you do with conflict that makes a difference … Nature uses conflict as a motivator for change, creating beautiful mountains, beaches and pearls."

Tom Crum